To Be All, To End All
by Jedi Kid
Summary: A new DADA teacher at Hogwarts and an Auror to boot, what kind of pandemonium will ensue this year? This is the sequel to my other fic A Long Time Coming so if you haven’t read that this one may not make much sense.
1. Back to School

**Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter I own Ruth, Gen and an overactive imagination.**

**A/N: Everyone seemed to like my last fic so here's the sequel, it picks up where the last one left off. Thanks to everyone who reviewed my first fic, special thanks to SiriusLives001 for all your suggestions.**

Chapter 1: Back to School

I'm watching the students trickle in from my seat at the staff table. Someone – I have a feeling it was Dumbledore – had put me sitting next to Snape. Students are looking at me and muttering to one another obviously wondering why I'd take the Defence Against the Dark Arts position and if last years rumours about me being an Auror are true. They are also probably wondering what I'm doing sitting next to Snape when it's common knowledge that he's after the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. Truthfully I'm wondering that too.

Professor McGonagall leads all the frightened looking first year students into the great hall. I briefly wonder if I looked that frightened when I first arrived at Hogwarts. The sorting hat's song causes me to frown as it seems to give a warning that all the students must work together saying that it wonders if it is wrong to split them into separate houses. I remember it doing that before when Voldemort was at full strength before.

"That's the second year in a row it has given a warning," Professor Flitwick murmurs beside me.

"Must be because of Voldemort," I reply softly. "It gave a warning every year when I was here as a student, though the warning was never that severe."

"I remember that," Professor Flitwick murmurs back. "Though you are correct about the severity of the warning. That in it's self causes me to worry."

I wonder if the hat knows something we don't, or at least suspects something we don't given that it has the knowledge from the founders of Hogwarts and lives in Dumbledores office.

Dumbledore stands up to speak and I immediately pay attention.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I have just a few small announcements to make before we dig into our feast. Firstly as a note to the first years and some of our older students the Forbidden Forest is forbidden which means you do not enter it. Also our caretaker Mr. Filtch has reminded me to tell you that the use of magic as well as an extensive list of things posted on his office door are forbidden in the hallways between classes. Now I would like to welcome a new teacher to our mist who will be taking the so-called cursed Defence Against the Dark Arts position, a good friend of mine, Professor Dawson."

I stand up to acknowledge the applause from the students, those at the Gryffindor table are clapping rather enthusiastically while those over at the Slytherin table merely look put off.

"Don't worry," I say to Dumbledore but loud enough for the entire great hall to hear, "I'm not going to interrupt you with a pointlessly long winded speech."

There is a roar of laughter from the students and Dumbledore chuckles before continuing.

"Now on to more important things, let the feast begin."

--------------

The next morning at breakfast I consult my timetable for the week. I have a double period with my sixth-year class first then a spare period before lunch, in the two periods following lunch I have one third year class, then the other one and in last period the seventh years. Seeing the third years listed on my timetable reminds me that I need a Boggart. 

"Do you know if there's a Boggart anywhere in the school?" I ask McGonagall.

"Filtch was saying yesterday that there's one down in the potions storage room in one of the cabinets. However Severus may have gotten rid of it by now."

"Let's hope not. I need one for my third years to practise on."

"And you couldn't have arranged this ahead of time?"

I grin, "not me, I do everything at the last moment."

I sweep into the classroom thirty seconds after the period starts my cloak billowing out behind me. Sitting down on the edge of my desk I open a folder and begin flipping through it.

"Well you're teaching in this subject has been rather…scattered to put it nicely," I say. "First year you had Professor Quirrell who's _Ministry approved_ way of teaching had you read books on the subject. Though he also had the minor drawback of Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head, as I believe Mr. Potter pointed out to the Ministry last year." There are some grins from the students. "Second year you had Professor Lockhart who is now sitting happily in St. Mungos with his memory removed which I think accurately sums up what you learned that year." That gets some laughter.

"Then you had Professor Lupin who managed to bring you up to the level you should have been at as far as dark creatures go. I'm not surprised at all that he was the only competent teacher you've had."

"You know Professor Lupin," a boy burst out.

"And you're name is?"

"Dean Thomas."

"To answer you're question Dean, yes I do know Professor Lupin, we are actually very good friends." I pause going back to the file. "Fourth year Professor Moody, aka death eater Bartty Crouch Jr. Well at least you learned something that year. Then last year you had Professor Umbridge." I toss the file into the wastebasket next to my desk, some of the students exchange grins. "Truthfully it's a miracle any of you passed your OWL."

I stand up. "Now if you'd put your books away and take out your wands I'm going to go through all of the defensive spells that you should know up to this point to get an idea of the level that most of the class is at. First off I would like to start with Disarming Charm…"

"Like _that's_ real complicated."

I turn to the boy who spoke and my good mood immediately vanishes. "Do you teach this class, Mr. Malfoy?"

"How did you know my name?" he demands.

"You're father and I have met. In fact you might want to ask him about September 20th fifteen years ago if you want to know how effective the Disarming Charm can be."

Malfoy Jr. opens and shuts his mouth several times trying to come up with a reply.

"Are you an Auror?" a boy asks quietly.

"Your name?"

"Ernie Macmillan."

"Yes, Ernie, I am."

Malfoy mutters something to his buddies.

"She a great Auror too," Neville cuts in. "She put five death eaters in Azkaban."

The class looks at me with new respect, and no one questions anything I say for the rest of the double period.

Just after the start of the next period I make my way down to the dungeons. I'm in no hurry to get there since the dungeons were always my least favourite place in Hogwarts when I was a student. I pause outside the door to Snape's classroom then I knock quickly and walk in.

Snape looks at me with his usual sneer. "Yes?"

"I was told you have a Boggart down here…"

"I can deal with Boggarts," Snape snaps. "I don't need an Auror to come and remove them for me."

"I was wondering," I continue as if I hadn't been interrupted. "If I could have it to give my third years some practise."

"And how do you plan on taking it with you?"

I pull out my wand, give it a wave and a large box appears. "Sufficient?"

"It's in there," he snarls pointing to a door behind him.

As I walk through the classroom I notice that this is the very class of sixth years that had just left my classroom except with one difference, there are only six students in this class. Obviously Snape has maintained the strict standards set by Professor Tragally to get into his NEWT classes. I resist the urge to smack Snape with the box as I go by knowing if I do I'm risking Dumbledore's wrath.

One of the cabinets is rattling, a sure sign that it contains a Boggart. With a wave of my wand the cabinet door opens. Before the Boggart can take a solid recognisable form I bring the box down over its head. The impact of the Boggart hitting the box sends me flying backwards into the shelves behind me. My head hits one painfully causing a loud crash and several jars to fall to the floor. I make sure that the Boggart is shut tightly in the box before cleaning up the smashed jars, unfortunately there isn't such an easy way to get rid of the throbbing pain in my head.

Levitating the box in front of me I walk back into the classroom.

"Do I dare ask what broke," Snape sneers.

"A couple jars. You try putting a Boggart in a box."

Ignoring Snape sneering at my back I walk out of the classroom resisting the urge to knock the supports out from under a sniggering Malfoy Jr's caldron.

_A/N: there you go R&R people._


	2. Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair

Chapter 2: Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair

The first week passes surprisingly quickly. From the whispers I've been hearing around the school my Defence Against the Dark Arts class has become a favourite of many students. I head down for breakfast on Saturday trying to decide if I should tackle marking all the essays afterwards.

"Good morning Ruth," McGonagall says with a smile.

"Morning," I reply scooping a pile of bacon eggs onto my plate.

Snape walks in looking as grumpy as always.

"Good morning Severus," says McGonagall.

Snape merely grunts.

"Bad morning then?" I say pleasantly.

He glares at me then says, "Pass the eggs."

"Say please," I retaliate.

"Pass the eggs _please_." He snarls giving me his best glare.

I hand him the plate and he takes it from me without a word and starts dumping them onto him plate.

"You're welcome," I say not entirely succeeding in keeping the sarcasm out of my voice.

Snape grunts.

"Someone is obviously not a morning person," I mutter.

"It's only because it's a nice day out," Flitwick squeaks from the other side of McGonagall.

I laugh and Snape sneers at us, I'm starting to wonder if he has another facial expression.

Hagrid sits down in the empty seat between Snape and I. "What's so funny?" he asks.

"Oh we were just commenting on what a lovely person Severus is in the morning," I reply.

Hagrid looks at Snape who is looking murderous and lets out a booming laugh. McGonagall and Flitwick are also chuckling. Most of the students in the great hall look up at us questioningly.

Suddenly Snape slams his fork down and storms out of the great hall. I resist the urge to yell 'have a nice day' after him.

----------

I spend most of the day marking papers, or at least trying to. I'm finding it very hard to concentrate with the warm breeze blowing through the open window and the bright sun outside. Finally that evening I give up and head outside for a walk around the grounds.

The Gryffindor Quiditch team is having a tryout of some sort. I stand there for a while watching, from the looks of things they're looking for a new chaser or two. I watch Harry who's circling up above the others watching the tryout, I wonder if he's the team captain.

As it starts to get dark the team quits for the night. Harry zooms to the ground stopping at the last second and leaping off his broom. I'm reminded fondly of another seeker from years ago.

"Hey, it's Professor Dawson," someone says.

Harry looks over.

"Hey." I say with a smile. "So how'd tryouts go, you found a new chaser?"

Everyone's staring at me.

"How'd you know we were looking for a new chaser?" Harry asks.

"It was all passing and shooting drills," I reply. "That's chaser stuff. If it had just been shooting then it would have been a keeper tryout, but then you also would have had to have more then one keeper out there."

"You know your Quiditch," says Katie sounding impressed.

I shrug. "I used to play in school. I was a chaser then seeker and team captain at one point in time."

"Why'd you go from being chaser to seeker?" Jack asks.

"Because our previous seeker graduated," I reply. "And the only way for us to set the record number of Quiditch cup victories I had to switch over to seeker."

"You were on the team that won everything!" Ron exclaims.

I shrug. "Yeah, not the first two years though."

"Who was seeker before you?" Ginny asks.

"James Potter."

"My dad," Harry says softly.

"Yeah," I reply equally as soft.

There is a long silence then I say;

"All of you should get changed and get back to Gryffindor common room before curfew."

The team walks off, all except Harry who looks like he really wants to ask me something but isn't sure if he can.

"Yes Harry?" I say softly.

"I, err…was my dad captain?" he burst out.

"Yes. For his last two years at the school, then I got the position."

Harry nods fidgeting with the cuff of his sleeve before saying, "We have a practise tomorrow night if you want to come watch."

I smile at him, "I'll be there."

--------------

Sunday is not nearly as nice a day as Saturday was, it drizzles on and off all day. However wrapped in my cloak I walk out to the Quiditch pitch that evening. There are seven people in Gryffindor Quiditch robes standing there, I'm surprised to see five people in Slytherin Qutich robes along with a group of other Slytherins standing there as well.

"I don't care if you have the pitch booked _Potter_," sneers Malfoy Jr. "We have special permission from Professor Snape to use it tonight for our tryouts."

"I don't care," Harry snaps. "We booked the pitch."

"But we have _special permission_," Malfoy Jr. sneers holding up a piece of parchment.

I decide to intervene. "May I see that Mr. Malfoy." I say holding out my hand, even he can tell it's not a question.

He hands it to me and I unfold it. Sure enough in Professor Snapes tiny, messy scrawl is written, 'I, Professor Snape Head of Slytherin House, give permission for the Slytherin Quiditch team to use the Quiditch pitch tonight for their tryouts'. I resist the urge to crush the note in my fist, Professor Tragally used to do this to us all the time. However now I'm a teacher, not a student.

I hand the note back to Malfoy Jr. "Gryffindor has the pitch booked, therefore Gryffindor gets to use the pitch. You can tell that to your head of house and if he has a problem with it, he can come talk to me, I'll be here. Now get out of here."

Snarling they leave.

"Go," I say to the Gryffindors. "Have your practise." They quickly mount their brooms and take off. I can feel my stomach making itself into knots, as long as Snapes not here the pitch goes to the Gryffindors. But he's a head of house witch means on the scale of teachers he outranks me, so if he shows up…I briefly consider going to McGonagall or Dumbeldore (the only two with the power to overrule Snape) but I have a feeling that wont get me anywhere.

I hear a door slam which means Snapes coming, but I don't turn and look. Instead I try to focus on the Gryffindor Quiditch players.

Snape comes up beside me. "What is the meaning of this," he growls.

I turn to look at him. "To use the Quiditch pitch you must book it ahead of time, though I realise you might not know that given you were never good enough to play the sport yourself." I take pleasure from the look of anger that crosses his face. "However Gryffindor booked the pitch meaning they get to use it and Slytherin must use it _another night_."

Snape takes a step towards me and growls, "however a Head of House may change that if he or she deems it necessary." He smiles nastily. "And no other teach may change that."

I glare up at him. Even as I do so I realise I must look a little ridiculous standing up to him. I'm not a small person, especially for a woman, I'm 5'9" with a fairly stocky build however he's almost a head taller then me with a larger build. I wonder when that happened, he was always fairly short – I distinctly remember Sirius holding Snapes wand over his head and getting the smaller boy to jump for it – though perhaps not as much in his last two years at Hogwarts, but even then he'd been scrawny with almost a malnourished look about him. I can also see the Slytherins grinning at one another behind him and the Gryffindors have come down to watch.

"I find it funny that only the Slytherin Head of House ever finds the need to over rule another teams right to the pitch. And when they do it's always when the Gryffindors are practising."

Snape takes a threatening step in my direction putting him in my personal space.

Before he can say anything I give him a shove backwards. "Personal bubble, _Snivellus_."

He looks furious. "You can't do this."

"Oh and are you going to go to Dumbledore," I snarl at him.

"You can't undermine my authority," he snaps as if I hadn't interrupted him. "You will suffer the consequences."

I see the giant squid surface in the lake out of the corner of my eye and have a flash of inspiration. "Go ahead and try. Because if you do we'll find out if your buddy the squid has missed you at all."

Before he can say or do anything McGonagall storms across the lawn.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on!"

'We're in trouble now,' I think.

"We have the pitch booked, Professor," Harry jumps in. "Snape wants us to hand it over to the Slytherins for their tryouts."

"_Professor _Snape, Mister Potter," says McGonagall. Then she turns to Snape, "Is the pitch booked tomorrow night?"

Snape looks at Malfoy Jr. who shakes his head.

"Then I suggest that Slytherin use it then," McGonagall concludes. Then turning towards the Gryffindors she say, "Well get on with your practise."

They don't need to be told twice.

Snape turns on his heel and marches back to the dungeons the rest of the Slytherins trailing after him.

McGonagall turns to me.

'I'm in for it now', I think.

"I heard your comment to Severus about the giant squid." She says coldly. "it wasn't funny when James and Sirius kept throwing him to it…"

'Sure it was', I think fighting back a smile.

"…and it's not funny now."

"He was abusing his position of power," I point out.

"I noticed. Which is why Gryffindor can continue with their practise."

"This isn't the first time Slytherin's tried to kick them off the pitch."

She looks at me for a moment before saying, "I'll keep an eye on it. Now back up to the castle before I decide to report this to Dumbledore."

Knowing this is the best I'm going to get I grudgingly head back up to the castle to mark papers.

_A/N: ok I had to have a go at Snape, it was inevitable, for those of you who don't like it too bad there's still a couple more chapters of making the Potions Master miserable, it's a little hobby of mine. I'll leave him alone eventually…maybe. grins evilly_


	3. Right Off the End of Professor Snapes Ab...

Chapter 3: Right Off the End of Professor Snapes Abnormally Large Nose

By Monday morning every student in the school knows about the conversation between Snape and I. There's a lot of muttering that I'd favour the Gryffindors since I was one myself however I try my best to hand out points equally. Though it's hard to keep from removing points from Slytherin when most of the Slytherin students don't even try to pay attention in my class. In fact they seem determined to do just the opposite.

On the flip side of things Snape is going out of his way to take points from Gryffindor. I tell Harry softly at the end of one class that the best way to keep the Slytherins off the Quiditch pitch would be to sign up the other two house teams for practise times this way the other two teams get time to practise and Slytherin gets none.

It even works for a while, then Dumbledore intervenes and comes up with a schedule so that every team had equal practise time. I'm just glad he never figgures out the reason Slytherin never got to use the pitch.

There is quite a large amount of tension build up before the match, Madam Pomfrey had probably never had to deal with injuries from so many fights before. As a teacher who is not a Head of House I'm not supposed to take sides, however the morning of the match I dress in scarlet robes and throw on a gold cloak instead of my normal silver one. I never wear a different cloak but then I was on Hogwarts grounds and therefore it was very unlikely that I would be attacked.

McGonagall is also in Gryffindor colours and to no ones surprise Snape walks in wearing robes of deep green trimmed with silver.

'Just goes to show that his wardrobe contains more then just the colour black', I think jabbing my eggs viciously with my fork.

I accompany McGonagall down to the change rooms to wish the team good luck.

"You do realise," she says. "That teachers are not supposed to show favouritism towards any particular house."

"When have I ever gone by the rules? I seem to remember many detentions in my time as a Gryffindor student here because of my lack of ability to remember the rules…"

"Ruth," McGonagall cuts me off with the slightest of smiles. "Do shut up."

I'm the last one to enter the teachers box. This means I get the last available seat, next to Snape. I sit down next to him and he gives me his best sneer. If one of us hasn't hexed the other by the end of this match I will be shocked.

When the captains are ordered to shake hands I notice that Harry and Malfoy Jr. seem to be trying to break one another's hands.

That's just a sign of things to come. The game is possibly one of the dirtiest I have ever seen played. It's obvious that Slytherin hasn't tried to change their style of play since I was a student here. Halfway though the game McGonagall forgets to keep reminding Colin Creevy (who is doing the announcing) to stop commenting on the game in an unbiased way. When Goyle takes a swing at Ginny's head with his beaters bat I think she's actually on her feet to protest faster then I am.

"Could you sit down, Ruth," Flitwick squeaks from behind me. "I can't see."

Still fuming I sit down. Then I see it, the golden snitch, hovering a few meters away from the teachers box. Both Harry and Malfoy Jr. have seen it too. Malfoy Jr. is streaking across the pitch at top speed, meanwhile Harry is lying flat against his broom in a full speed dive.

The snitch sees them coming and attempts to escape, in the direction of the teachers box. I'm surprised when it doesn't head down towards the ground but instead towards us. In fact straight towards me, no, make that Snape.

Harry hasn't slowed down at all, he's now coming in at the speed of a ballistic missile, straight towards the snitch and Snape.

Flitwick, who is sitting behind Snape, squeaks and dives to the floor. Snape leans back away from the snitch – which is now right in front of his face – just as Harry grabs it and pulls expertly out of his dive snitch clutched tightly in his hand.

McGonagall and I leap to our feet cheering.

"AND I DON'T BELIEVE IT," Colin screams. "BUT HARRY'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH, RIGHT OFF THE END OF PROFESSOR SNAPES ABNOMALLY LARGE NOSE!"

I burst into laughter – as does the rest of the school (with the possible exception of the Slytherins) – before racing down the stairs after McGonagall to congratulate the team. I pause and wait for the crowd to thin out around Harry before I go up and speak to him.

"Brilliant catch, better then any I ever saw James make."

Harry's now smiling so widely I think his face might split. "Thanks Professor."

Colin runs up to us and over his shoulder I can see Snape giving him a death glare.

"Brilliant commentary," I say to Colin. "I especially liked your description of Harry's catch."

Then with a smile in Snapes direction I turn and walk off. I may supposed to be a teacher who is not supposed to show favouritism towards any house but at the moment I am a Gryffindor, a Quiditch playing Gryffindor.

_A/N: yeah that one was kind of short, the next one will be longer. I'd originally planned to make it one big chapter then realised it would be too big so I made it into two. I'm going on vacation for a couple weeks which unfortunetly means this is all you get for a while, however it also means you get a whole bunch of chapters when I get back, that is after all the reason god invented laptops._


	4. Birthdays and the Potions Master

Chapter 4: Birthdays and the Potions Master

I wake up late the next morning due to the Gryffindor party that went until almost two in the morning before McGonagall called it quits. I'm quite glad she hadn't seen me there because I wasn't allowed to be there, invited or not.

I'm startled to see someone in my room and immediately reach for my wand before realising that it's Sirius.

"What are you doing here?"

"You know what today is don't you?"

I feel as if I'm sitting there in a confused fog, which is partially because I've just woken up (I'm not much of a morning person).

"It's November 20th," says Sirius. "Your birthday."

I look over at the clock beside my bed, which has the added advantage of displaying the date, and notice that he's right.

"I lost track of the days," I admit. "Especially with the Quiditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin yesterday."

"How'd that go?" Sirius asks.

"Brilliant. You should have seen Harry's catch, as mister Creevy said 'right of the end of Professor Snapes abnormally large nose'."

Sirius roars with laughter.

"So should we head down to breakfast?" I ask getting quickly changing into my robes.

"Actually it's time for lunch."

I look at the clock again, which reads 12:23, and notice that he's right. With a sheepish grin I link arms with him and head down to the great hall.

Snape looks furious to see Sirius there. Harry on the other hand runs up to us with a grin on his face.

"Sirius, you didn't tell me you were coming!"

Sirius smiles. "I got special permission 'cause it's my girls birthday."

"It's your birthday today?" Harry says to me.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you mention it?"

I grin apologetically, "It slipped my mind."

"I hear I missed an excellent Quiditch game yesterday," says Sirius.

"I don't know about an excellent game," says Ron. "But Harry's catch was bloody brilliant."

"Right off the end of Snapes abnormally large nose so I hear." Grinning Sirius glances over at Snape. "I'm just glad he didn't inhale it before you caught it."

I can't help laughing, apparently neither can most of the great hall. Dumbledore, however, gives us a stern look and I stop.

"We'd better have lunch," I say to Sirius.

"Right. Talk to you later Harry."

As we sit down Dumbledore says to me, "It was interesting this morning at breakfast. All of the Gryffindors were absent because of their party last night."

From the look in his eyes I can tell he knew I was there, even if McGonagall didn't see me. At least he seems amused by the whole thing.

Suddenly the entire hall bursts into a round of happy birthday for me, the teachers all join in, except for Snape. But then his Slytherins aren't singing either, not that I care.

Sirius takes me into Hogsmade that afternoon.

"You realise that I have an enormous pile of marking to do."

"That can wait."

I roll my eyes. "Some people actually try to work you know."

"Yeah, well, I refuse to let you work on your birthday."

With a sigh I give in, actually I don't really need much convincing. After all, it's a nice day out – despite the chilly November air – so I doubt I would have got much marking done.

We go into a certain coffee shop first and get two mugs of hot chocolate before going to sit at a certain table by the window.

"No Regulus here this time," I say taking a sip of my hot chocolate.

Sirius chuckles then leans across the table to kiss me.

We spend the afternoon simply walking around Hogsmade talking and laughing about all the memories we have of this place.

We meet up with Remus and Gen at the Three Broomsticks for my birthday dinner.

Madam Rosmaerta joins us for a bit to laugh at what trouble we'd always used to cause in her pub and to laugh at my story of Harry's catch at the Quiditch match yesterday. The only one who didn't think Colin's commentary wasn't absolutely wonderful was Gen who shakes her head instead of laughing. Luckily all conversation avoids Snape for the rest of dinner.

We bid Remus and Gen farewell after dinner and head back up the path to Hogwarts. Just before we're on Hogwarts grounds Sirius stops me.

"I know I never really got a chance to ask you before they sent me to Azkaban partly because we were both to busy and partly because I kept chickening out. But I wanted to ask you now before anything happens," he reaches into his pocket and pulls something out. "Will you marry me?"

Sure enough he has a ring in his hand.

"Of course," I say kissing him.

"I got a chain so that you can wear it around your neck," he says. "Since you hate rings."

I laugh as he puts it around my neck and I'm about to kiss him again when there's a flash of fire and Fawkes is sitting on my shoulder with a note.

I take it from him and unroll it to read, 'Emergency meeting, my office'. Sirius sees it too and we both sprint up to the castle running up the flights of stairs and up to the stone Gargoyle.

"Chocolate Frogs," I gasp.

The Gargoyle leaps aside and we run up the stairs into Dumbledores office, all of the other teachers are already there.

"It's good that you could both make it," says Dumbledore as we come in gasping for breath.

"Would have been faster if we could apparate," I gasp.

"Yes but it is safer for everyone that you can't," says Dumbledore looking grim. "Severus has just informed me that Lord Voldemort is planning an attack on Hogwarts before the end of the year."

I look over at Snape who, for once, is not sneering. He actually looks worried.

"Do we know when?" I ask.

"No idea," says Snape. "He's got to figure out to get past at least some of the barriers before he can try anything."

"But if he's already planning something doesn't that mean he's figured something out?" McGonagall asks.

"No idea. I'm not privy to the Dark Lords thoughts," says Snape with a trace of his usual sneer.

"He might just have a good idea how to get around some of them." I say. "The largest problem for him would be that you can't apparate in. The closest apparting points are in Hogsmade and the middle of the Forbidden Forest."

"Would he use portkeys?" Sirius asks.

"Impossible to use on Hogwarts grounds," says Dumbledore. "Only the Headmaster can create porkeys in and out of Hogwarts."

"It's been done before," I remind him.

"I've re-enforced the charm since then," Dumbledore says. "It had started to wear down with age."

There's a long silence.

"What do we tell the students?" Professor Sprout asks.

"Nothing at the moment," says Dumbledore. "There is no need to cause a panic. We will keep this silent until Severus has more information for us."

Though I don't say it out loud I'm not too comfortable with the idea that everyone's lives rest on his shoulders. 'Happy Birthday to me,' I think dully.

"Now," says Dumbledore. "On a happier note I believe Ruth and Sirius have something to share with us."

It takes me a few second to realise what he's talking about, I'd almost forgotten with the news of the impending attack on Hogwarts.

"Sirius and I are getting married."

"Congratulations," McGonagall cries. Her sentiments are echoed by all of the other teachers except Snape who suddenly gets up and walks out slamming the door behind him.

"What in the name of Merlin was that all about?" I ask.

Everyone looks just as puzzled except for Dumbeldore who simply smiles and says;

"I thought it obvious."

"Well obviously it wasn't obvious," I reply unable to keep the sarcasm from my voice.

"He likes you, always has."

I stare at Dumbledore in shock for a moment before saying. "You're mad. Off your rocker, lost your marbles. The Daily Prophet was right last year when they said you were loosing it. There is no way in hell he could like me. The ideas ridiculous, insane."

"Are you completely done questioning my sanity," Dumbledore asks with a smile. "Because what I say is completely true."

"He can't like me, he doesn't even know the meaning of the word."

"You're words aren't going to change the fact he likes you."

"I don't like him," I explode. "He's a greasy git. Gen likes him."

"Did you ever consider the fact that he might have put up with Gen in school because he wanted to get closer to you?"

I stare at him wordlessly then march out of his office slamming the door behind me with all my might.

_A/N: How do you like that little twist, I bet no one saw that coming. Review people, I like reviews._


	5. Depths of a Soul

Chapter 5: Depths of a Soul

I wander around the halls. I know these halls so well from my days as a student here that it is impossible for someone to find me without use of the marauders map. It's an added bonus that it's late so no students are up and wandering about to interrupt my thoughts.

'Wonderful birthday this is', I think angrily. 'First the news of and impending attack on Hogwarts then I find out the greasy git has a crush on me'. I wonder how that happened. I'd never been particularly nice to him, that had always been Gen, and sometimes Lily had tried. But then I'd never been mean to him either, I'd always been the bystander laughing at whatever James and Sirius did to him. Truthfully the first time I'd attacked him (not including when I was apprehending him as a death eater) was this past summer. Also I'd never really called him names before that, just Snivellus, and just about everyone had called him Snivellus.

My musings are interrupted as I turn a corner and run into someone in the pitch-black corridors. We both fall to the floor with a crash.

I grab my wand, "Lumos."

Someone else says it as well and seconds later I find myself looking into the eyes of Snape who is illuminated in the light of both of our wands.

I scramble to my feet trying to maintain my dignity and he gets up as well.

"I'm surprised to see you here," he sneers. "I thought you'd still be with Black."

"Well I'd much rather be with him then you," I snap.

For a moment he looks like he's going to reply then he turns on his heel and walks away muttering "nox." Quickly he and his black clothing blend into the night.

More irritated then I had been moments before I head for my office. Not surprisingly Sirius is waiting there for me, slightly more surprising is Dumbledore is also sitting there waiting.

I give the Headmaster an irritated look. "What?"  
He stands up and I immediately regret snapping at him. "It is imperative that you get along with Severus."

"Sure," I say sarcasm filling my voice. "Because that greasy git is just so easy to get along with."

Dumbledore looks angry and I'm surprised to find that I don't care.

"Snivellus isn't worth my time," I say angrily.

"INSULTING HIM WILL NOT BRING JAMES BACK," Dumbledore roars.

I'm speechless, I've never heard Dumbledore raise his voice let alone yell. Then the full impact of his words hits me, but before I can say anything Dumbeldore continues.

"I heard what was said between the two of you 15 years ago after his trial, and while I understand your anger Severus couldn't have known that Peter was the spy any more then you or I could have. He hated James thus he didn't really care that he was dead but that does not mean it was at all his fault."

I'm silent, how does Dumbledore know the thoughts I had hidden deep and almost consciously forgotten?

"You are familiar with a death eater who was often referred to as Marauder?"

I'm startled by the sudden change of topic. "Yes." Marauder was what the Ministry had called him because they didn't know his name (it had always irked me that they called him by the name that James and Sirius had called their group). The Marauder was an Auror killer, he'd murdered 12 in total, and I'd almost been the 13th. Though I don't know if I would have counted because it was only my second mission as Mad-Eye's apprentice. We'd been with three other Aurors; the first two had been destroyed so that even all the pieces left of both couldn't fill the palm of my hand. He'd used the Avada Kedavra on the third, then turned to me, laughing. The explosion that he'd caused when he destroyed the first two had caused a large chunk of a building to fall on my legs trapping me there. I'd been as good as dead then Mad-Eye had used Avada Kedavra on him. He was the first and last death eater Mad-Eye killed, he always captured, never killed but he'd changed that to save my life. Thinking of the man known as Marauder always made me feel both guilty and angry, guilty that I'd been the reason that Mad-Eye had had to compromise his own code of behaviour and angry that Marauder had made him do it. So to say I was familiar with the death eater Marauder was a bit of an understatement.

"He was Severus' father."

I stare at Dumbledore in shock.

"Severus came to Hogwarts knowing so many curses because his father had used them on him as a form of punishment. I'm not quite sure what happened to his mother outside of the fact that she died when he was four, though I suspect that her death had been at his father's hands. I tried to get him removed from his fathers custody but the Ministry wouldn't have it, they said that they were too busy with Voldemort to deal with a domestic case."

I feel like I'm going to be sick. Suddenly I feel guilty for every time I ever laughed at Snape, and any time I'd ever made fun of him.

"I'm not asking for you to love him," says Dumbledore gently. "I'm just asking that you don't hate him."

Then the Headmaster leaves leaving me feeling guilty instead of angry.

_A/N: k, I had to add that twist to Snape's character after all they have to work together later on so she can't keep hating him. Takes all the fun out of it though. Review people._


	6. Merry Christmas

_A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, I don't have much time to write now that school's started again. _

Chapter 6: Merry Christmas

I try to talk to Snape every day after that but he refuses to let me near him. At meals he sits in the furthest seat from me and if the only place left to sit is beside me then he skips the meal. If he sees me in the halls he turns and walks in the other direction, he's never in the staff room but keeps himself confined to his office and in desperation I even try to see him there but he just retreats to his rooms. Even James and Sirius never found out where the private rooms of the Slytherin Head of House are, and they could get into Dumbledore's.

Finally Christmas rolls around and many of the students head home. Snape disappears into his dungeons and I don't bother looking for him, I'm too busy trying to do all of my Christmas shopping in three days.

I'd planned to sleep in on Christmas morning but something poking me in the shoulder wakes me up.

"Go away," I mumble sleepily rolling over without opening my eyes.

"I'll get her up," someone says then all my blankets are gone. The cold air startles me awake and I sit up blinking the sleep out of my eyes.

Sirius is standing beside me with his usual impish grin, Gen is standing behind him laughing and Remus is standing at the foot of my bed with my sheets in his hands.

"You're supposes to be the nice one," I say to him in an accusing tone.

"Presents," says Gen pleasantly.

"I hate morning people," I mutter glancing over at my clock, which reads 8:05, so much for sleeping in.

The first presents in a small box and is apparently from all three of them. It's a necklace with a silver Phoenix on it.

"It's a kind of dark detector," says Remus. "It glows orange when a dark wizards near and red when you're in danger from being attacked by one."

I can see why it's from the three of them, that kind of thing is rare and therefore really expensive. I have a suspicion that Sirius paid for most of it with his inheritance of the Black family fortune.

I have two other presents, one is a set of Gryffindor coloured robes from Sirius and the other is the largest package of candy I have ever seen from Dumbledore. I fleetingly wonder if Dumbledore has opened the package of socks I sent him.

Since I don't have to teach today I put on the robes from Sirius and the four of us head down to the great hall for breakfast.

"Hey, Gen," I say when we're halfway there. "Could you talk to Snape?"

Gen gives me a withering look. "Why haven't you bothered?"

I wince. "I've tried."

She snorts. "Yeah well I've seen you try to be friendly with him before."

I look at Sirius, he'd sent me an owl mentioning that he'd told them what Dumbledore had said but he'd never mentioned their reactions.

"Listen, Gen." I say trying not to sound as frustrated as I feel. "I know I haven't been nice to him, but he's spent the last month purposefully avoiding me."

"I wonder why, after all you broke his heart."

"He doesn't have a heart," Sirius mutters.

"Sirius, shut up!" I snap and he looks startled. "Gen, I know you're probably right but I also know that you care about him."

Gen looks at me but doesn't interrupt.

"I also figure that he doesn't know that."

"Well it's kind of hard to tell someone that you're in love with them when they're pining for your best friend. Especially when your best friend goes out of her way to make his life miserable."

"That's my point."

"How is that your point," she snaps.

"You're to polite and shy to ever do anything to show him that you really do err…love him."

"What do you suggest I do?" she says sarcastically.

"Kiss him."

"What!" That comes not only from Gen but Sirius as well.

"Now that's an idea," says Remus with a grin.

We walk into the great hall then and the conversation ceases upon us laying eyes on Snape. He and Dumbledore are the only two there.

Snape looks up, sees us and abruptly gets up, leaving his breakfast, and heads for the doors.

Suddenly Gen races over to him, grabs him by the shoulder, spins him around and plants a kiss on his lips. "Merry Christmas," she says simply before walking back over to us.

I'm not sure who looks more surprised, Snape or me.

There is a great roar of laughter from behind us and I turn to look at Dumbledore who has thrown his head back and is laughing uncontrollably. This goes on for a few minutes before I get to courage to go up to him.

"Err, Dumbledore?"

He fights back chuckles in an attempt to speak to me, with tears of laughter running down his face as well. "Yes, Ruth?"

"Are you alright?" I glance towards the door of the great hall, where staff and students have started gathering, as I say this.

"Yes, yes I'm fine. In fact better then I have been in a long time." He looks over to the doorway. "Come in, come in. Breakfast is absolutely excellent this fine Christmas morning. And Severus do come and sit back down, your eggs are getting cold."

'Well he seems normal, anyways,' I think. 'Or at least as normal as Dumbledore ever is.'

"Thank you for the socks," Dumbledore says to me. "It is refreshing not to receive books for once."

I grin, "You're welcome."

I look down the table to where Gen and Snape are. For once Snape isn't sneering actually he looks confused.

"Well they seem to have finally figured it out," Dumbledore comments.

"Yeah." I run a hand backwards through my hair. "I never figured Gen would do anything like that, even though I suggested it. I'm the unpredictable person, she's always the rational one." I grin slightly. "I'll have to mark this day on my calendar, 'the day Gen did something unpredictable'."

Dumbledore chuckles and I look back down the table at Gen and Snape. To my surprise Snape suddenly smiles. It's shocking how different smiling makes him look.

"And I too have something to mark on my calendar," says Dumbledore softly. "The day I saw Severus Snape smile."

_A/N: and so ends the chapter in which the plot is furthered very little. Exciting stuff next chapter, I promise._


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